Switched
by Kay Hau
Summary: Just how would the story differ if the gender of everyone in Anima was switched? Surprisingly a lot. With things like Husky really just pretending to be a boy, Nana trying to be an ideal 'cool thief' and Sailand as a matriarchy, many new paths for the anima four are created with such an insignificant seeming change. - Chapters 1-3 co-written with Moofy-Fan. Summary by Moofy-Fan.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: As a reminder, chapters 1 through 3 are co-written with Moofy-Fan. Ideas in future chapters are also half hers._

_Chapters 1 through 3 are the "Husky" arc. The plan is for each character to have an arc before we have them meet and begin their adventure together. Enjoy!_

* * *

Princess Keane was bullying Princess Myrrha again. Naturally, it was entirely Myrrha's fault. Or at least that's what everyone said.

As always, the two princesses between Myrrha and Keane found it hilarious. It was so _unlike_ Keane to be so bitter and mean, for one thing. And as soon as Keane's back was turned, they'd start giggling about how _jealous_ it was so obvious Keane was.

Keane was the perfect queen, and sure to be a great empress one day, as she constantly reminded her younger sisters. Especially Myrrha. Myrrha didn't seem to get that one fact through her head. Keane had the hardest classes, was the picture of beauty and grace, strength and intelligence. Had actually had _boys_ that weren't even engaged to her propose! While Myrrha, _Husky_, preferred to hide in her room with a book, sneak out to the guards' training quarters to practice her staff, or skulk around the harem's garden, often clinging to her father instead of seeking out her peers.

In conclusion, Myrrha was a baby. So insisted Keane whenever the fourth princess was within earshot. Myrrha was a baby who acted like a _boy_. She had an ugly, rough _boy_ voice like her father's, all husky and accented and gross. These giant eyes that wanted to bug out of her strangely shaped head, that _boring_ and _weird_ straight silver hair.

That the very boys that proposed to Keane would follow her little sister with their eyes and comment on how pretty she looked meant absolutely nothing, because obviously no one cared what _boys_ thought. That the empress always seemed to have an extra special smile on her face when speaking to or of Myrrha was just Keane's paranoia – after all, her father had told her so. And he was _first king_.

* * *

Keane spun in front of the mirror in her dressing room, laughing in delight. Her formal gown was _gorgeous_. This would be the best day of her life – so far, anyway! Her handmaidens giggled at the happiness exuding off the pretty redhead, and one sat the eleven year old down to finish pinning up the girl's beautiful red curls in a formal style.

It was the day! She'd finally be officially named crown princess! Everyone in the empire and surrounding kingdoms would know! She'd been trained and worked like a slave since before she could walk for this day! Etiquette, politics, mathematics, history, philosophy – she could match most adults with her knowledge, and even at her young age she was a charmer that easily became the center of attention in any room she entered.

Her father, Lord Dylana, knocked and entered her room, his own face beaming with pride. He was also dressed in his finest, a formal outfit suitable for any king, his own curly red hair tied back. He had every right to be happy – not only was today the fruit of all his and his daughter's labor at becoming crown princess, but his own status as first king would be assured. He would become the second most powerful person in the country, and his wife the empress' chief advisor.

"Congratulations, Keane," he said affectionately, holding out his arms.

Keane's eyes lit up – forms of affection from her father were quite rare. She rushed over and leaped into her father's arms, squeezing tight and smiling up at him.

"It's done, Papa!" she said excitedly. "It's finally that day! We made it!"

Her father leaned down and kissed her forehead, making Keane's eyes tear a bit in joy.

"Now just the queenship, darling. You've done so good."

"…is it really a done deal?" whispered one of the maidservants to the other, a little too loudly.

Keane felt her father stiffen and she instantly knew to back away as she saw her father's eyes flash. As she knew he would, he stalked over and slapped the insolent young maidservant across the face.

"You _dare_ doubt Crown Princess Keane's abilities?"

"No!" protested the maidservant, pressing a hand to where she'd been struck. "I meant no disrespect, my lord! Just that I thought being the firstborn was no guarantee of the queenship!"

"The only times a firstborn has been surpassed were when they were _woefully_ inadequate. How dare you insinuate that my Keane…!"

"N-not that! J-just P-Princess Myrrha…!" whimpered the maidservant in terror, unable to shut her mouth as she stumbled for an excuse for her behavior.

"Father!" cried out Keane, scared of the signs of her father's sharp and harsh temper. His hands had actually clenched as he took a menacing step further.

He seemed to come to himself at his daughter's cry, and he lowered his hands and deliberately unfisted them.

"You'll see," he finished instead, turning stiffly on his heel and stalking out.

Keane's smile had dropped at the maidservant's words. Myrrha. Myrrha _again. _

"Why is it _always _Myrrha…?" her broken voice trailed off. Then she shook her head in annoyance.

"No!" she shouted, more to herself than her maidservants. "I've done everything I was supposed to! I'm just as good as my mom always wanted me to be! I'm _finally_ ready!" she insisted, a rather uncharacteristic bite in her normally sweet demeanor.

The older maidservant gestured warningly for the younger maidservant to keep her mouth shut and stepped forward.

"Of course you are, dear. Now come, let us finish getting you ready for your big day."

* * *

"Why do _I_ have to go?" whined Princess Myrrha as her father ran a brush through her long, silky, straight silver hair. "It's Keane's big day! Everyone knows it! No one will even notice if I don't show up!"

"That's very rude to your mother and sister," said her father in his usual eternally patient, even borderline emotionless, manner. "The ball was your mother's decree, and follows tradition. And don't you want to congratulate your sister? Princess Keane has been working very hard for this privilege."

Myrrha sulked as she only could alone or around her father. "Keane's always mean to me!"

"Keane's not a bad girl. She's just scared."

"Why?"

"Because you can do everything she can."

"Why should that worry her?" asked Myrrha, turning to look up at her father with genuine confusion.

Her father's normally cold expression softened. "Some people worry about their position in life, Myrrha. Keane is one of those people – she needs people to encourage her, to compliment her, to let her know she's doing the right thing. That's not a good or a bad thing. You, on the other hand, already know what you can do. You don't care what others think. That's why it's especially important that you congratulate her on her big day."

"But why should I have to? She's mean!" whined Myrrha.

Lord Marein sighed and tapped his daughter teasingly on the nose. "What did I just say, love? Do I whine when the other kings insult me?"

Myrrha huffed. "But you're a grown-up! And girls are worse than boys! Girls are evil!"

Marein chuckled softly. "To some degree, that may be true. And perhaps today you'll just have to pretend to be a little grown-up, hmm?"

"Okay, papa."

"Good girl."

"Papa?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Myrrha."

* * *

Myrrha, in what she thought a very responsible and grown-up decision, had chosen a much simpler gown than usual for the pronouncement ball. A simple white silk dress with no frills or layers at all, with a blue sapphire necklace that had been a present from her father, and the matching sapphire earrings that were her single treasure – being from both her parents. Her father had actually helped her mother select the present for her last year, and it was the only true sign, however small, that her mother maybe loved her as much as Keane and the others.

Not that she dared tell her sisters the history of the earrings, as her father had warned her that could make them a target for stealing. It would especially be looked down on, since Myrrha and Marein were considered quite low in the royal hierarchy, with three princesses being above Myrrha. They were small and unnoticeable next to the finery of the older princesses, though, so the sapphire studs generally escaped notice.

What Myrrha could never have predicted in her childish innocence is how incredibly beautiful she looked in simple clothing. Even though she was a mere child of eight, she absolutely glowed in the white silk, and stood far apart from the other princesses with her simple elegance, in stark contrast to their gaudy jewels and layers upon layers of frills and fabric.

Not that she even knew she was beautiful – all she knew was she got weird attention that she absolutely _hated_. Her reason for wearing simple clothing was an attempt to escape notice, completely not understanding that it was her huge, catlike blue-purple eyes and sleek, silvery, almost light blue hair – the very things she was tormented for by her sisters as marking her as an ugly freak – that actually made her so incredibly beautiful. That had people glancing at her amazingly handsome and foreign-appearing father and instantly falling into daydreams about how the fourth princess would look as an adult woman.

Her father, Lord Marein, also dressed in a far simpler style in comparison to the other kings of the empress' harem. Though, unlike Myrrha, he knew full well that his simple style highlighted his strange hair and exotic eyes, and certainly caught his wife's attention. He took secret malicious joy in wearing the colors, and occasionally a piece of the garb, from his native country absorbed into Northern Sailand – knowing that doing so drove the other kings, especially the pompous Lord Dylana, up the wall in helpless rage.

He may have accepted that, as a gift to her highness, he was forced to concede to his wife as his superior – but like hell he was going to concede the same of the other kings in the harem. He would bow and be polite as Sailandian etiquette demanded, but his mind and heart would eternally be free. As he prayed his daughter's would as well. He had raised her to be strong, and thankfully she was turning out to have a personality very similar to his own.

So when his daughter gave him a quick hug before jumping back and spinning around, asking a quick, "How do I look, Papa?," he already knew his answer.

"Quite nice, my love. You won't shame your mother or myself at all."

Myrrha beamed at the response. Not beautiful. Not pretty. Just nice. Exactly what she wanted to be. Then she glanced down the curved hall and her smile fell, remembering that they had to actually put in an appearance at Keane's ball now. Where she was sure to be mocked, and she was sure weird boys would follow her around. Of course, the boys were freakishly nice to her, so she didn't care much – it was when Keane and her other two older sisters started going that things got nasty.

Her father set a hand on her shoulder and leaned over. "Words only hurt if you give them power," he whispered, knowing exactly what she was thinking about.

"So if I tell myself it doesn't hurt, it won't?"

Marein smiled slightly, almost unnoticeably to anyone other than his precious daughter. "It'll take practice, but yes."

"Okay, Papa, I'm ready."

"Good girl. Let's go."

Myrrha took her father's large hand with her left, while her right fisted in her dress. She could do this! Her papa had said she could, so she would! Her papa put up with mean words from the other kings all the time, and he never let it hurt him – so she would learn to do the same!

* * *

As it turns out, they were one of the later parties at the ball, which the rival kings and princesses would whisper slanderously was on purpose to attract more attention. In truth, though, they would not have attracted attention at all with their polite and simple entrance through the side entrance, except for their remarkable appearances.

The entire royal family and all the closest nobles were assembled for the ball, which started with dancing, led to a banquet, climaxed at the announcement of the next queen, and ended nicely in further dancing and congratulations. There were never any surprises at such events, and the whole evening and following night was certain in everyone's minds to proceed smoothly.

Princess Keane was naturally the center of attention. Everyone knew it was her night, after all. There was no reason for it not to be – she had met every qualification for crown princess. Keane had never disappointed a tutor or failed an exam. Her answers to political questions were spot on, and no one doubted her ability to listen and apply what she heard in what she believed the best way possible for Sailand. There were even whispers that the brilliant young princess would solve the +anima revolt problem upon her ascension to the throne.

"Feh. I can do that," huffed Myrrha softly, helping herself to a glass of punch and ignoring the usual stares following her around. She was being a big girl and not clinging to her father tonight – he had told her it was important that she reach out to others socially. To her, that just meant walking around the room a few times before grabbing a seat and hoping to be ignored. How she wished she could've hid under the table with a good book.

"Thinks she's so perfect," cursed Myrrha, glancing in annoyance at Keane chattering away with a group of other young women, including several other princesses and many of their female cousins, noble ladies in their own rights.

Naturally, Keane caught her eye and the first princess' usually soft brown eyes hardened in anger. The pretty redhead seemed to tense, and of course that meant every person in her little clique glanced over at the object of their heroine's irritation.

* * *

Myrrha would never know what went on in Keane's mind in that split second. An ego-blowing memory of a maidservant's words in her room not two hours ago.

_'Is it really a done deal?' 'Being the firstborn is no guarantee of the queenship.'_

Her father interrupted even in her own mind, though the memory of his words made her heart sink further.

_'The only times a firstborn has been surpassed were when they were woefully inadequate!' _

If she… if she wasn't announced… was it possible? Could Princess Myrrha become the next queen?

But… but… she'd done everything! She'd tried so hard! She was her mother's firstborn – shouldn't that count for something?

_'Woefully inadequate!' _

How did others see her next to Myrrha…? She already knew. She _knew_ Myrrha was more beautiful than herself, or at least would become so. She _knew_ that it was not normal that Myrrha could equal her on the same test, considering Myrrha was three years her junior. She _knew_ that she would lose to her little sister in a duel if her sister was armed with a staff, rather than a sword. Luckily her father had only seen their duels with swords, which Myrrha had a problem with, being so much smaller than Keane.

And Keane _knew_, no matter what her father said otherwise, that the queen loved Myrrha best. She'd found out about the earrings. And she made a point of never mentioning it, especially not stealing them… because she'd never gotten anything from her mother. Certainly not a hand-chosen gift that the queen had consulted her father about.

And that little witch had the nerve to wear those very earrings this night! On Keane's special day! As if to rub it in Keane's face that mother loved her more.

Well, so what! Keane would be queen anyway! Myrrha could do nothing about being fourth princess, and there was absolutely no reason to supplant Keane as first princess.

…Right?

_Oh, please, please, let it be my day… Not Myrrha's…_

And Myrrha chose that moment to stick out her tongue.

"Why… you… _Husky!_" growled Keane.

* * *

"Husky?" asked one of the princesses next to Keane, feeling no need to lower her voice. The only one not involved in conversation that could possible overhear was that annoying fourth princess anyway.

"Because of her voice!" scoffed Keane, no longer even aware of what she was saying. She just _had_ to release her jealousy somehow or she would explode.

"Husky! I love it!" giggled the second princess, glaring straight at Princess Myrrha and smirking as a blush rose in those delicate porcelain cheeks.

Myrrha did something her father would verbally disapprove of, though inwardly probably be preening about, and marched right up to her sisters and cousins.

"There's nothing wrong with being called Husky!" she insisted. "I like my voice! It's like my father's!"

"Yeah, your _father's_," mocked the third princess, repeating an old insult. "I guess you don't realize your father's a _man_? A little girl with a man's voice?! Oh, that's hilarious!"

Myrrha's blush grew. "I never said I had a man's voice!"

"Oh, but you did!" retorted Keane. "And it's just as well, you little boy! You're secretly a boy, aren't you? I knew things didn't add up!"

"Myrrha's way too ugly to be a girl," agreed the second princess.

The third princess joined in. "Yeah, with those bug-eyes, and that freaky hair!"

_I'm the one that gives words power_, thought Myrrha to herself, even as she felt the bite deep in her heart. "I don't have to be pretty to be a girl!" she returned, knowing as soon as she said it how pathetic it sounded.

"She admits she's ugly!" cheered several of the girls at the same time, and they started laughing cruelly.

"Well… well…" fumbled Myrrha, trying desperately to come up with a comeback. She saw a couple of princes in the corner, not knowing that one was Keane's favorite fiancé Straton, just knowing that they'd been nice, if weird, to her in the past.

"Well, boys are nicer than you mean girls anyway!" she finally retorted, spinning on her shoes and trotting off to talk to Straton, who seemed surprised but quite delighted to have attention from the pretty, and usually anti-social, fourth princess.

Keane absolutely burned in fury. "That _witch_!" she cursed.

"Now she even wants to steal Straton from you!" incited the second princess, mock angrily, even as her eyes slid in amusement to watch the angry blush in Keane's face rise.

"He seems to like the attention too, stupid boy," added the third princess, catching on, while the other girls in the group, not knowing the envy the second and third princesses held for both Keane and Myrrha, agreed wholeheartedly, thinking it was just more attack-the-upstart gossip.

"Why couldn't she really be ugly and stupid?" whimpered Keane to herself, her anger dissipating somewhat into helpless frustration as she reminded herself that Straton was _her_ fiancé and _Husky_ couldn't do anything about that.

"What was that?" asked the young lady closest to Keane.

Keane pretended she hadn't said anything and changed the subject. Though later she made certain to claim Straton as her dance partner for the entire pre-banquet dance program.

And Myrrha, of course, appeared to not notice or care at all.

* * *

_Author's Note: Hope everyone enjoyed chapter one, and please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Again, chapters 1 through 3 are co-written with Moofy-Fan. Ideas in future chapters are also half hers._

_Chapters 1 through 3 are the "Husky" arc. The plan is for each character to have an arc before we have them meet and begin their adventure together. Enjoy!_

* * *

Princess Keane wasn't even looking at Straton as they slowly spun around the dance floor. Her mind was still focused on that… that _Husky_. She wasn't even doing anything now, just sitting at one of the long tables with her father. He'd gotten her to come to the announcement ceremony, but there was no way that the man would ever be able to force his asocial daughter to actually dance.

"Um, Keane… Keane?"

She broke away from glaring at the younger girl for a second at the sound of Straton's voice. There was a clearly concerned look on his face, but she was still too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice it.

"Yeah?" she answered, looking back over at Myrrha again afterwards. That little witch was just so sure she was going to be crowned queen, wasn't she?

"Is everything okay?" he asked, frowning slightly at the way Keane automatically nodded, not even looking at him this time and barely registering the question.

"Of course, why wouldn't it be?" the redhead answered, eyes still trained on where Myrrha sat.

Always acting so calm, like she didn't care about any of this. That stupid little girl was probably absolutely giddy on the inside, _knowing_ that their mother loved her more. That she could steal away everything Keane had ever worked for with a single look from those _huge, blue eyes _and a few perfect words in that _hoarse, gravely accent_.

"Well, for one…" the blonde boy hesitated, cringing slightly before continuing, "you're hurting me," he finished. Keane quickly realized that she was practically squeezing the life out of his hands and eased up her grip as fast as she could.

"Sorry…" she mumbled, not quite able to keep herself from blushing entirely. Straton just offered her a smile though, not appearing to mind nearly having his circulation cut off in his fingers.

"It's fine. You're nervous?" he asked, although it sounded a bit less like a question and more like he was just stating a fact. Even still, Keane instantly started shaking her head defensively. She wasn't nervous. She was _petrified._

"Of course not! What would I have to be nervous about? I'm about to be named official heir," she insisted, although the blond prince didn't look like he believed her one bit. Most of the time she liked that Straton seemed to be able to see through what she was saying to what she really meant. Now was not one of those times.

"There's always that. Being responsible for an entire country would be a lot of stress for one person," he argued calmly. That was another thing Keane liked about him; she'd never once seen the slightly younger boy lose his temper.

"I've been training for this my entire life," she fought back, although Straton just nodded once again.

"And that's another thing, you've been waiting for this moment for years now. Of course you'll be nervous," he said, and Keane almost agreed with him. He was right after all, but she wasn't nervous for the reasons he probably thought. It wasn't the stress of how her life would change after this. What if she just wasn't good enough? What if _Husky _had really managed to outshine her so much that their mother just didn't _care _whether or not she was firstborn anymore?

"Hurting again." The blond broke into her thoughts, and Keane instantly relaxed her grip once again, mumbling sorry for a second time.

"It's just…" she started hesitantly, before cutting herself off and shaking her head.

"Myrrha?" he asked quietly, causing the redheaded princess to flinch.

"What-" she began loudly, before cringing for a second time and starting over in a much lower tone. "What does _she _have to do with anything?" she asked, not quite able to hide the bitterness in her voice.

"I don't know, but you two were fighting earlier," he said. Keane instantly found the silver haired girl sitting at the table again and glared, still seething at the way that witch had gone to talk to _her_ fiancé after their fight. Like she could steal even _Straton_ away from her.

Of course… if Myrrha was named heir _instead _of her then she really would…

"What did she say to you?" the redhead practically growled, not noticing the surprised look that passed over Straton's face.

"Nothing. I just saw you two arguing," he answered. When Keane didn't answer, he sighed softly. "Keane, you're not acting like yourself."

"I'm acting perfectly fine!" she snapped, flinching afterwards when she realized how much of a lie that really was. She almost never spoke to people like that, and certainly not to _Straton _out of all of them. One of the few things she _hadn't _inherited from her father was his temper.

"What happened?" the blond asked, still sounding just as calm as when they'd started talking. Keane practically deflated on the spot as they danced, before shaking her head once again in an attempt to get herself back under control that only halfway worked.

"Nothing. It's just why… why is she so _perfect?_" she asked, her voice breaking ever so slightly and the girl sounding a step away from full out whining. A look of confusion passed over the blonde's face though, and he tilted his head to the side slightly.

"Who? Myrrha?" he asked, and Keane nodded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yes, her!" the redhead answered. Straton just looked at her incredulously, before shaking his head.

"She's not perfect. No one is, and even still, why would something like that bother you?" he asked. Keane sighed, stealing another glance at her sister from across the room before continuing.

"Mother… she likes her more. What if she names her heir instead of me?" the redhead whispered. It was the first time she'd actually just straight up asked someone about this, despite having the fear boiling around in her head for so long now. Whenever Myrrha would beat her with her staff fighting. Whenever she'd do just as well as Keane on a test. Whenever the queen would smile down at the tiny girl so _lovingly. _

She could trust Straton though. There was a reason he was her favorite. Right now, the blonde boy looked genuinely surprised by her concern.

"You don't know that, and besides, I've talked to Myrrha. I don't think she even _wants_ to be queen," he insisted. Keane hesitated slightly, but started to argue back all the same, still keeping her voice low. No one was paying the two any mind at the moment, but she still didn't want to risk anyone overhearing.

"Yes I do," she insisted, mind instantly flooded with thoughts of how the queen would always seek out the young princess. Of how she would just act _different_ when speaking to or of Myrrha. Of those _earrings. _"I-I just do…" she repeated, a defeated tone to her voice. Straton sighed softly, already able to tell that there was just no way he would be able to convince her otherwise of that fact.

"Look, Keane. Even if what you said is true, which I doubt, that doesn't mean that the queen would name her as successor over you," he said, catching the princess' attention.

"Why wouldn't she? Myrrha can do anything I can, and she's younger too. And prettier… and just how am I supposed to compete with her?" she asked, now that she had started telling someone her concerns the rest of them quickly tumbling out afterwards.

"You've completed every requirement for the position outstandingly, and everyone knows that. It'd create unnecessary drama and dissent if she named someone else, let alone someone so much younger as heir instead. And that's not something the country needs right now," he said.

"And _I _don't think she's prettier than you, at any rate," the prince added on quickly, causing the redhead to blush.

"You really don't think the queen will choose her instead?" she asked after a moment, and Straton nodded.

"You've done great Keane. Try to relax for the rest of the night," he said, relieved to find that she actually managed to smile this time.

Maybe she really was overstressing and just blowing this whole thing out of proportion. Straton was almost always right, after all. One of the only boys who was. If he said that it would be a bad move for the queen to name Myrrha heir, then it probably was, and she highly doubted her mother would put her own desire over that of the county's best interest. So even if the queen wanted to… she probably wouldn't change the standings.

"Thanks, Strat. I'll try," she said, already feeling a bit of the anger and anxiety from before starting to fade away. It didn't leave completely, but it was leaps and bounds better than how she'd been before.

"Anytime Keane, and congratulations."

* * *

The ball was fantastic. The largest, most spectacular room of the palace was decorated even more extravagantly than was usual, and a huge bustle of people moved about joyfully. The entire place was nearly packed with the residents of the palace, as well as many nobles and anyone of high enough influence who had managed to worm their way inside. Beautiful music played in the background, and princess Keane couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she made her way about the room.

Any and all doubts from before had been forgotten as the redheaded princess immersed herself in the party.

She had nothing to worry about. Her father was right, after all. Even Straton had said so. Yes, Myrrha was… well, Myrrha was just Myrrha, but that didn't change anything. She _knew_ she was ready for this, and the queen did too. So there was no reason for her to do anything but enjoy the party as she waited for the announcement that would make all of her hard work finally worth it.

As her eyes caught a speck of silver, it was very clear that 'enjoying the party' was _not _something princess Myrrha was doing. The young girl was practically glued to her father's hip, and never was there a purer look of _not _wanting to be somewhere.

The elegant silver haired man seemed to notice her from across the room, and Keane turned to focus her attention on a buffet laid out next to her instead. King Marien whispered something to his young daughter before pushing the obviously reluctant girl in her direction. Keane pretended not to notice Myrrha as she awkwardly walked up to her, annoyance clear on the petite princess' face.

"Hey Keane…" she said, running a hand through her hair. "Um… earlier? I forgot to say congratulations, or something, I guess… So, er, good job and you'll be a great queen…" she mumbled, looking anywhere but the older girl's face.

Keane smiled as she turned towards her now, putting aside her normal disdain for her and the words her maidservant had spoken earlier. She almost wanted to laugh actually. Maybe Straton was right? That Myrrha didn't even want to be the next empress? Because as uncomfortable as her younger sister sounded, the well-wishing sounded genuine.

"Thanks, Myrrha," the redhead answered happily.

With that Myrrha hurried back to her father without another word, clearly still feeling awkward about the whole situation. Keane didn't let it bother her at all though. Myrrha never liked huge parties or things like this anyway, and she hadn't even been expecting the silver princess to congratulate her. Sure, it had obviously been her father's doing, but the only reason she was probably even here was because Lord Marien had made her come, so that didn't really matter.

Princess Myrrha wasn't a threat anymore. She had never been one to begin with, of course, but now all of Keane's worrying would finally be over with. In only a few short minutes her name would be called as the next heir to the throne, and then there would be _nothing_ that could change it.

* * *

Princess Myrrha was back at her father's side in an instant, quickly maneuvering her way around the masses of people that littered the ballroom floor.

"There, can we leave now?" she asked, earning a small smile from the tall man, who quickly shook his head.

"Why not?" the girl practically whined. "I did everything you said!"

"We have to stay for the announcement, sweetie. It shouldn't be long now. We can leave afterwards," he answered, and reluctantly Princess Myrrha nodded.

Looking towards the front end of the long room, the silver princess could just manage to make out the queen's figure seated in a large chair, almost a throne really. A few of those brave enough to stood around her, attempting to speak casually. Not that she actually seemed terribly interested in what they were saying, but hey, at least they were trying.

Through all of the bustling people moving about, the queen's eyes seemed to lock onto the young girl's, before offering her a small smile, effectively confusing Myrrha to no end. Barely a second went by before the Empress of Sailand broke the contact, rising from her chair and lifting a glass in her hand as a signal for silence.

A hush fell over the party instantly, everyone turning their attention to the beautiful standing woman. The queen scanned the room for a second before clearing her throat to speak, obviously starting to get on with the entire reason for the party. Princess Keane's coronation as official heir.

"I thank you all for coming to this joyous occasion, where one of my daughters shall officially be crowned as heir to the throne," she started.

Myrrha glanced over to where Keane stood, finding the girl practically bouncing at her father's side. One hand was wrapped tightly in his coat, probably in an attempt to keep herself calm, and her face looked ready to tear in half from the huge smile. Myrrha couldn't help but think that for some reason though, her eyes looked completely terrified. She was probably just seeing things though, there was no reason for Keane to be scared, after all. She'd been waiting for this day her whole life.

"As you all know, this was not a decision made lightly," the queen continued.

Myrrha was starting to just slightly block her out as she waited. Yeah, yeah, really hard, you're all wonderful girls, Keane congratulations. She wished their mother would just get on with it already. It was hot and muggy with all these people stuffed into one room, and this dress was uncomfortable. They all knew what was going to happen anyway, so there wasn't even really any drama involved. Finally though, she seemed to be getting to the point.

"I know that she will be able to handle the responsibilities needed, and one day be a wonderful and strong empress. May I now officially introducing you all to Crown Princess…" the queen paused slightly.

Myrrha had turned from staring at Keane to glance over towards their royal mother, curious about the delay. She didn't notice how Keane's eyes widened and were trained on the silver girl herself.

"Myrrha."

The entire ballroom started clapping, turning towards the now Crown Princess Myrrha without missing a single beat.

Myrrha's mouth dropped open in shock, her already huge eyes widening to the extent possible. How could everyone be so calm? L-like this was normal? Like the queen hadn't just made some sort of horrible mistake!

That's what it had to be, a mistake! The silver princess was completely frozen as she tried to wrap her mind around what had just happened. Because this was all _wrong_.

"W-what?" she managed to gasp, voice barely above a whisper. She backed up into her father, who grabbed her hand to keep her from rushing off.

Even if it was louder, she doubted anyone would have been able to hear her over the multitude of cheering and congratulations that was going on. People that had always looked at her with disdain were suddenly shoving to get in front of her and shake her hand. The second and third princesses fought their way to her side and were squealing about how they'd always known this would happen, because Myrrha _so_ deserved it.

It seemed that despite this though, her father either managed to hear or could sense the confusion in her, squeezing her hand gently. Letting her know he was there, and, she could tell from the slightest trembling of his hand, that he hadn't expected this either.

This didn't make any sense. Mother was supposed to call Keane's name.

_Keane_.

Oh god…

Myrrha looked to find the redhead exactly where she'd been before the announcement, but she looked _nothing _like she had only a few seconds ago. The first princess' entire body was shaking, and it was clear even from this distance that she was on the verge of tears. Her one hand was still tangled in her father's coat, but her grip seemed to have become twice as strong as she practically squeezed the life out of the auburn fabric.

As Myrrha stared, Keane turned and glared straight at Myrrha, actually managing to stun the younger girl with the absolute _hatred_ pouring out of her. K-Keane had never liked her, yes, but this was… this was almost scary.

Without any sort of warning the redhead abandoned her vise-like grip on Lord Dylana's coat and ran out of the ballroom. Getting out of there before anyone noticed that she was _this_ close to attacking the smaller girl where she stood, or just bursting into tears from the shock of it all.

The silver haired girl finally managed to look up at her father, the confusion she still felt very clear. Lord… no, _King_ Marien's face was completely unreadable, staring off in the same direction Myrrha had been only a moment ago, though his attention actually seemed to be on Lord Dylana. Sensing his daughter's movement though, he turned to look at her, a very small smile on his face now.

"I-I don't… What just…?" Myrrha managed to say, still not understanding _how_ this could have happened. Keane was the oldest, she was going to be empress. It just didn't make any sense. Why had the queen done this?

As if to hammer in the unreality of the situation, not one of the dozens of people surrounding her, shaking her hand, clapping her on the shoulder, congratulating her, seemed to even notice the shock on Myrrha's face or her whispered disbeliefs.

Marien sighed quietly under his breath before rubbing his daughter's head softly. He leaned over, speaking close to her ear, so she could hear him over everyone else.

"Congratulations, honey. I'm sorry, but you'll have to endure just a bit longer," he said, still keeping his voice as calm as it always was. Myrrha just shook her head though, unable to process just what in the world was going on.

* * *

_Author's Note: Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! One more chapter for Husky, then we'll see what we can do for Nana! Please review to let me know what you think so far! I'm totally open to ideas, questions, comments, anything!  
_


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: I've decided a big 'ah whatever' and to go ahead and put up this chapter to finish up the Husky arc. I'm especially proud of the last part of this chapter, leading up to Husky's circus arc. Next chapter, if and when I ever get to it, will be the start of the boy Nana's journey to become a phantom thief! _

_And once again, half the credit for this chapter goes to the wonderfully talented Moofy-Fan!_

* * *

After almost an hour of meaningless congratulations that went in one ear and out the other, the dancing resumed and Myrrha managed to steal away from the ball. One destination solidly in mind.

Keane's room.

She had to make this right with Keane. She just _had_ to. While Keane and her had never got along, it just didn't sit right with her that Keane truly _hated_ her now. It wasn't right at all, because it wasn't right at all that Myrrha had been announced instead of Keane. Because, deep down, Myrrha knew her father was right: Keane was _not_ a bad girl. Keane should not hate anybody.

Myrrha hiked up her skirt as she dashed down the hall, ignoring the gasps as she ran past the maids flashing her knees and shins. Speed was essential. She had to talk to Keane. She had to make this right. Because it was wrong.

She finally reached the harem, and made her way towards the princess' rooms. She heard Keane long before she saw the room…

For who else would be sobbing and wailing on this night?

Without thinking, Myrrha dashed even quicker up to Keane's bedroom door and tried the handle. Naturally, it was locked.

At the sound of someone trying to open the door, the sobbing and whimpering stopped. A silence hung in the air. Myrrha banged on the door with her fists.

"Let me in, Keane! I'm sorry! You know I didn't want this!"

"GO AWAY!" shrieked Keane from the other side of the door.

"I don't want to be queen, Keane! Let's go tell mother she made a mistake! It's supposed to be _your_ night! This is all a terrible…"

"SHUT UP, MYRRHA! GO AWAY!"

"Keane!"

"NO! No! No… You shut up, Myrrha!" cried out Keane's voice, suddenly softer and broken-sounding, muffled as if the owner was curled in on herself. "You've _always_ been better than me! Mother always loved _you_ best, and you've never even noticed!"

"That's not true! I…"

"I _never_ got earrings!"

Myrrha froze. Wait… could Keane be referring to her present from mother and her father? And if Keane was so bitter, did that mean…? Keane continued before Myrrha could fully process the thought.

"I _knew_ this was going to happen, Myrrha! So just leave me alone!"

"But I want to…"

"GO AWAY!" shrieked Keane again.

And, somehow, this time Myrrha understood that Keane really meant it.

Myrrha felt tears fall from her own eyes, though she hardly knew what they could mean. After all, she didn't _really_ care what Keane thought of her. So why was this so much harder to take than any bullying?

"I'm sorry, Keane," she said. And, never knowing whether Keane heard her or not, let alone believed her or not, she let her hands fall from her sister's door and left her older sister to cry in peace.

* * *

Princess Myrrha sat in front of the large artificial lake at the center of the courtyard. A scowl of anger and confusion was plastered on her delicate seeming features, and pebble after pebble was hurled ungracefully into the previously calm water.

"Myrrha," a calm voice called from behind the girl, and she didn't bother to turn around, instead continuing to glare at the ripples just barely visible in the water. The moon shone brightly in the sky, though the trees surrounding them obscured their view.

"I don't _get it,_" she practically growled, yanking a strand of her long silver hair back as she searched for another rock with her other hand. Only once she found one did she started speaking again. "It's not _right_! Keane's supposed to be queen! _She's _the oldest!" Myrrha protested, each sentence punctuated with a loud splash.

King Marein nodded ever so slightly, taking a few steps towards the angry young child. His beloved daughter was much too young to be burdened with something as stressful as the fate of an entire country, but there wasn't any changing that now. The queen had made her decision.

"Keane may be the eldest, but you show the most promise," her father said, trying to reason with her. It was important that she understood her mother's decision, even if she disagreed with it.

But Myrrha just shook her head. That didn't make any sense. This wasn't right, and yet for some reason _she _seemed to have been the only one surprised at the announcement.

How in the world was she supposed to know that the queen was going to single _her _out over all of the other princesses, over _Keane, _as the next ruler? Everyone else had appeared like they had been suspecting as such, like it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Even Keane had been… It would explain the increasing hostility recently… How could she have been caught so off guard?

"I wasn't _trying _to be better than her. I'm _not_! I'm not any weaker than her either, but that doesn't mean the queen should go out of order…" Myrrha had turned around to face her father now, finally ignoring the pond and ceasing tossing the rocks. Even still, she wasn't able to completely finish her thought, trailing off instead. She was still trying and failing slightly to get over the shock.

Princess Keane had been groomed her entire life for the position of queen. It was just something they all had assumed was set in stone, or at least Myrrha had assumed as such. She had more classes than the rest of them, and was required to spend more time with the queen and actually sit in on real political meetings. There were already even men, well, boys right now, that had been picked out from across the country for her future harem.

Now though, it seemed that all of that was going to transfer over to Myrrha instead. She didn't deserve any of that though! She didn't even _want _it!

Apparently the current queen, their mother thought differently. She'd found something, although the girl couldn't figure out for the life of her what, inside of the stick thin fireball of a child that had apparently overruled the old standings.

Or maybe Keane had been right, and mother simply just loved Myrrha best? The silver-haired girl's hands drifted to her precious sapphire studs.

"You're right, you and Keane are mostly equal, in terms of strength and intelligence," Marein began. "But you forget that you're also three years younger than her." Myrrha cringed slightly. She did tend to forget that a lot…

"O-oh yeah," she answered after a moment, "but I still… I don't…" she mumbled, pulling at the grass and not looking her father in the eyes.

She guessed this was supposed to be some great thing, being named first in line for the throne. It was something all of the _other _princesses wanted, after all. That didn't change the fact that it had just never been something that had interested the girl at all.

She _couldn't_ turn down the queen though. She had no choice but to fall in line with her decision, and try her best to not make a fool of herself in the process. To ignore all of the excess attention that she hated, the jealous glares and quips that someone like _Husky _could ever make a strong queen. The absolute _hatred _that had been seeping off of Keane in droves.

And Myrrha finally acknowledged that it made sense for Keane to hate her. That, for all Keane's efforts over the years, she couldn't match up to some girl three years her junior who wasn't even trying.

"I never wanted this," she said at last. "I don't think I ever will."

King Marien nodded, never losing his normal calm expression. He wanted to help his daughter and would have readily made it so that none of this would happen, but there was nothing he could do about the decision even if he tried.

Myrrha was strong though. She'd been thrown off by the sudden shock of it all, but he had no doubt that she'd be able to adapt quickly enough. The queen had not decided this lightly after all. It was clearly something she'd been weighing for quite some time now, even if Myrrha didn't realize it. Not ever figuring out that all of her attempts to prove herself as an equal to her sisters had inadvertently managed to prove herself superior.

"I know," was all he said, knowing that his daughter would have shrugged off any words of encouragement or comfort.

With a sigh, the beautiful young girl stood up, standing tall and proud. She wiped at her large, nearly catlike eyes, which held no traces of the tears Marien was sure she'd shed in an earlier emotional outburst.

Marien smiled proudly at his daughter, understanding the queen's decision despite wishing she hadn't made it. How the eight year old girl managed to keep herself composed when others years older would have cracked was a mystery in and of itself. He couldn't help but wonder if his daughter had _ever _truly been a child, other than in those moments where her temper got the best of her and she exploded on the other princesses.

"I should probably go get some rest. My classes are going to be harder from now on, aren't they?" she said, absentmindedly tucking a piece of loose hair behind her ear.

The tall man nodded, offering a rare smile to the silver girl.

"Yes, they will," he said, pausing for a moment before adding, "You'll do fine, dear." Myrrha frowned slightly before finally nodding reluctantly. She guessed that was true. If Keane could do it, after all, then there was absolutely no reason why she wouldn't be able to.

She didn't quite understand that it was that exact mentality that had landed her in this position in the first place.

* * *

A beautiful mermaid wearily dragged herself out of the river, only making it halfway out before having to rest. Her silver hair shone a pure, sparkling white in the moonlight. The scales of her torso and tail flickered between blue and silver as she gasped for breath.

"Father…" she gasped, staring at the grass she was clutching in her fingers. The gasp turned into a choking sob. She was obviously completely exhausted, on top of emotionally strained nearly to breaking. "Father… so sorry… I'm… so sorry…" she whimpered, tears flowing from her large, light blue eyes.

She bent her head and focused on turning back into a human. Surprisingly, it worked, and she crawled the rest of the way out of the river on all fours. For clothing she had only her underwear, short white bloomers and a sleeveless tunic top. Her dress, shoes, and accessories had all been discarded in her escape. It had weighed her down enough, and her father had raised no fool. Escape had been number one priority. At least she wasn't naked, and she'd heard some of the lower classes didn't wear much more than what she was wearing now.

_Actually…_ She raised her hands to her ears, and a soft, heartbroken smile slipped onto her lips at feeling the sapphire studs still there. She hadn't lost everything. The logical part of her mind told her she'd probably have to sell them for money later on, but at this moment, here and now, she couldn't bear the thought of parting with her last remnant of her life as princess. Of her father. Even of her mother, much as the woman probably wouldn't bear to look at her if she knew the truth.

Princess Myrrha had pathetically been nearly murdered. Weak. Stupid. And, even worse, she had become a +anima in order to save herself.

Death would have been preferable. But you don't exactly think such things when the world is fading to black and all you can think of is _air_…

At least they thought she was dead. She'd gotten this far without being seen. Everyone would assume she had drowned in the lake.

Her fingers relented their hold on her earrings and drifted to clutching her long, smooth hair. She twisted it in her hands, and cursed how recognizable it was. Anyone with the slightest link to Sailand's royal family would spot it immediately for what it was. Myrrha was no fool. She knew how famous her father was, and quite how impressive her own reputation had become.

She'd have to disguise herself. She was pretty close to Astaria, if not quite in it yet. She'd have to think of an alias…

Maybe she could pass herself off as a guy? Her voice was rather low, and she had her father's accent… Husky. What Keane and the others had called her. Husky sounded like a guy's name, and it didn't sound Sailandian at all. She could already fight most men, which in itself would give credit to her claim of her gender.

Her fingers continued to twist in her beautiful hair, and suddenly grabbed and yanked painfully. She nodded decisively. Her hair would have to go. It was much to feminine. With shorter hair, she should be able to pass herself off as a guy. Maybe there was some truth to her sisters' taunts. If she was that boyish after all, it shouldn't be hard.

She was still breathing hard from her long, long swim. She knew for a fact she'd spent at least a week down there – she'd counted the sunsets. She was tired and starving and almost felt like crying at the feeling of being out in the open instead of trapped underwater, in a maze of canals or hugging the coastline and avoiding the slightest sign of human habitation. In her exhaustion and relief she let her guard down.

Just out of her sight, though well within hearing range if she hadn't been so exhausted, a lone fisherman stared at the incredibly beautiful mermaid that he'd just witnessed transform into a human. He'd watched, entranced, as she cried. He stared at her expressive face as she examined herself, found her earrings, played with her hair.

He swiftly gathered up his net, being careful not to alert the beautiful, supernatural being to his presence.

Myrrha had suffered many indignities and terrors in her life, none quite so terrible as being dragged into the air by Keane's father and strangled, then thrown into the lake to die.

Being captured in a net and manhandled into a giant jar, of the sort fishermen used to transport their catch live, for maximum freshness, became a quick third on her list of traumas, behind being strangled and drowning.

The worst part was the darkness and the sounds that echoed through the jar constantly, throbbing through her skull. She could barely move, and had been forced to transform in order to breath in the water, since the fisherman had immediately tied thick, dark fabric taunt over the opening and the jar was filled to the brim.

Was she to be killed and eaten like any other fish? Some delicacy for a noble? She'd heard legends of the prize of mermaid's flesh… Oh god, please no…

What could she do…? What should she do?

She angrily pounded on the jar, flinging herself side to side as much as she could, crying out to the fisherman and pleading with him to release her. This continued for well over an hour, with not a single answer or pause in the movements and sounds throbbing at her through the jar.

The ex-princess was already exhausted and starving. No matter how desperate she was, she could not possibly, humanely, continue any more. She hugged herself tight as close to the bottom of the jar as she could get, refusing to let herself cry, her fiercely plotting mind working on several escape attempts.

All involved getting at least some strength back and the jar being opened. She quieted and waited. Just breathing.

She was ashamed of herself when she awoke many hours later to the fabric being yanked off. She missed her chance at catching her captor off guard.

But no hands were reaching in to grab her. Frowning, she turned her eyes upward and reached out a hand to the lip of the jar and pulled herself up.

Her eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the light of the barely rising sun after the pitch blackness, but when they did she was unable to keep her fear off her face.

A large, brutal looking man, eyes wide with delight and greed, was towering over her. She lunged away, only to be caught by the fisherman from behind, before she was even halfway out of the jar.

The man had his huge, rough hands on her upper arms, easily holding her in place. She struggled to no avail.

"What an amazing beauty. A princess, I'd dare say," commented the brutal looking man in an oily smooth voice.

Myrrha froze in terror, the idea of her identity leaking out scaring her more than her current predicament.

"What the hell…" she managed to choke out. "Get your damn hands off me!"

The man frowned, grabbing her chin and forcing her face towards his. His eyes were puzzled at her voice.

"A boy?" he wondered, puzzled at the low voice and the accent, the likes of which he'd never heard before, making it sound all the more masculine to his ears. Girls did not talk like that, after all. Girls' voices were dainty and high-pitched, whiney and breathless. Certainly not low and husky and… extremely UN-delicate.

"With that hair?" asked the fisherman.

"It could be cultural," commented the man with the oily voice. "It's quite common in more barbaric societies."

"Should we… check?"

Myrrha stiffened, but she needn't have worried.

The brutal looking man was suddenly enraged. "Do you know how hard it is to sell soiled goods?" he demanded. "The gender matters not, regardless. I can definitely sell this, and other than the voice, she's my perfect mermaid princess. I'll make a mint off her. How much do you want?"

"Five hundred gillah."

"Done."

The lack of haggling made a part deep inside Myrrha whimper, but she quickly quashed it. As brave as she tried to look, even with her eyes feverishly darting for a way out, taking in with confusion the tents not fifteen steps behind the man, the broad plain they seemed to be in, with nothing recognizable around.

The brutal looking man smirked down at her, grabbing her right wrist as she tried to lunge away when the fisherman released her. She swung her free hand in a fist straight towards his face, which he caught easily.

"Calm down, mermaid. I've got a job proposition for you."

"You buy me as a slave, then choose to demean my intelligence by claiming this to be honest work?" hissed Myrrha.

"Would you rather I sell you as a pet or concubine? I'll make more money if you cooperate in my show. See, child, I run a circus…"

* * *

"What shall I call you, mermaid?"

"Husky," growled out Myrrha, still angry about this whole situation.

"A boy, then?"

"Yes," was the short reply, and Myrrha was so angry it easily came across as irritation about the mistake in 'his' gender.

"Alright then," said the circus master, seeing no reason to believe otherwise. Circuses were rough places for women anyway, so it was probably just as well. Who knows what his boys would do to such a pretty child if Husky was a girl?

"The way I see it, you're getting a pretty nice deal, Husky. I'm willing to give you your own small tent, and I'll even give you a salary after your purchase is paid off. Depending on how successful your show is, of course. Though I know word of a live Mermaid Princess is sure to draw comers from far and wide!"

He glanced down at the small boy with long silver hair. The boy refused to meet his eyes, but didn't fight the grip the man had on his wrist as he pulled him towards his personal tent.

"You're quite lucky, you know. Most +anima are hideous. Nothing more than monsters, really. And people are much more willing to pay to view something beautiful than something horrifying. If you cooperate, you could find yourself quite rich."

Husky was obviously thinking feverishly about all this.

"You don't have a choice, you know. Really, I'll be using you in my show regardless. It'd just be a _better_ show if you cooperated. You get to choose between being chained up at night in a large tent full of brawny circus men, who quite honestly might not be able to keep their hands to themselves, even knowing you're a boy… or you can simply agree to my terms. Then you get your own tent, freedom to move about the circus grounds as you wish, and, in the future, a decent wage."

It was a blow to her pride, but Myrrha was no idiot.

"I'll do it," she growled, though she was already planning her escape. Which should be quite easy, given his 'conditions'. She hated lying, but in this case, it was necessary. And she wasn't _entirely_ lying. She might lie low here for a while, while she made her plans. Do a few shows, pocket some gillah.

"But I have some conditions of my own," she continued, in a firm voice.

The circus master raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I want to wear a wig during the show," she said, feeling her face flush in embarrassment. To sink to such a low. _Her_. The one who was crown princess to the throne of Sailand. Wearing a wig and performing in a circus act… disgraceful.

The man laughed. "You really are a boy, aren't you? Is it really that embarrassing, the idea of being thought a girl? Admired and ogled? Or are you scared of word getting back to any family you might still have?"

Husky said nothing. His face remained flushed so red, the man took it as a yes.

"Fine, fine. I was planning it, really. Silver hair is a little too exotic for most. Plus, this makes it less likely you'll be recognized during non-show hours. Wouldn't want you getting kidnapped!"

Husky couldn't help a shiver at the very thought. Would she ever be truly free again?

The man laughed, then suddenly grabbed her by the throat. "One last condition to our deal, my mermaid princess. I'll be taking those earrings of yours."

Husky froze, eyes wide in fear, mind suddenly blank at the thought of losing what was now the last thing she could claim as _hers_.

"N-no deal!" she declared, though it came out weakly from the pressure the man was exerting on her throat. She was already fighting flashbacks of Dylana. Really, she'd never be able to bear hands on her throat again…

"You'll get them back," he continued, his voice even more oily and slicker than ever. "But I need some form of insurance in order to give you so much freedom, see? How could I possibly let someone I just paid 500 gillah for just wander around, when I hardly know you? You could be planning to desert first thing tomorrow morning, after all."

"I won't!" she exclaimed, or rather tried to. The denial turned out to be more of a gasp for air, even as the man forced her to the ground and pinned her down with one hand.

The other hand pushed aside her long hair, exposing the beautiful sapphire studs. Already worth far more than the 500 gillah he'd spent purchasing his mermaid. Stupid fisherman. But his mermaid princess was worth far, far more than even those…

And from the tears falling down the beautiful boy's face, they were the perfect collateral. Far more than he'd realized when he first made the statement. It was meant to just be repayment for his purchase if the boy escaped before he made his money back… but it was obviously perfect blackmail material. Something about these expensive studs was deeply personal to his little mermaid.

With skillful fingers, honed from years of juggling, magic acts, musical instrument practice, and the like, he easily slipped off the studs and safely pocketed them. He'd find a safer place for them later. He released the mermaid, but she seemed in shock, staring up at him, an obvious pleading in her eyes.

"Work hard, mermaid. The sooner your show pays me back, the sooner these are returned to you."

* * *

_Author's Note: Hee, hopefully that last scene got everyone hooked on the story! If not, well, what can I say? We must have drastically different tastes! Anyway, hope to hear from everyone on what they think of the story. I haven't really gotten any feedback, except for High-Liter - so shout-out and thank you to him/her! Please review and let me know what you think!_


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